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Women's Health Symposium features information, entertainment

Submitted by braswell on January 8, 2013 - 11:31am

POPLARVILLE - Women’s health will take center stage on Saturday, Jan. 26, when Pearl River Community College hosts the seventh annual Women’s Health Symposium.The doors to Crosby Hall will open at 7:30 a.m. for early birds to enjoy a continental breakfast and the art walk featuring the work of area artists. Following a welcome at 8:15 a.m., the symposium begins with a panel discussion and question-and-answer period about women’s health concerns.Panelists will be Dr. Andrea Carter with the Women’s Pavilion of South Mississippi, Dr. Lara Otaigbe with Wesley Primary Care of Hattiesburg, Dr. Melissa Holland with Hattiesburg Clinic and Dr. Angela Jones with The Poplarville Clinic.“One of the primary purposes of the Pearl River Community College Women’s Health Symposium is to raise the awareness of women in this region regarding the need for changes in lifestyles in order to improve the personal health and fitness of our citizens,” said Dr. Becky Askew, PRCC vice president for planning and institutional research and chair of the symposium steering committee.The symposium health fair begins at 10 a.m. and provides blood pressure, blood glucose, bone density, hearing, posture and vision screenings. Because a limited number of screenings are available, guests will receive wrist bands when they check in for the screenings they choose. The health fair also will include manicures offered by students in PRCC’s cosmetology program and informational displays from a variety of health-care providers, including the PRCC dental hygiene clinic.Lunch begins at 12 p.m. with entertainment by The Voices, 12 PRCC students selected by audition for the elite ensemble. Guests will also be presented with special favors.Barb Bancroft of Chicago, a widely-acclaimed presenter, will be the luncheon speaker. Executive director and president of CPP Associates Inc., a consulting firm and continuing education provider for healthcare professionals and corporate seminars, she is a pediatric nurse practitioner, an educator and author.Her books include Medical Minutiae, a humorous look at the fields of medicine and nursing; An Apple a Day: The ABCs of Diet and Disease; Live a Little, Laugh a Lot; and Kiss My Asparagus: An Essential Guide to Nutrition’s Role in Health and Disease.In addition to her clinical experience as a pediatric and adult neurology nurse, she has held faculty positions at the University of Virginia, the University of Arkansas, Loyola University of Chicago and St. Xavier University of Chicago.The annual presentation of dozens of door prizes will conclude the symposium by 1:30 p.m. although the art walk will re-open as guests leave.Grand sponsor of the symposium is Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation through a grant of $17,000.“Through this event, hundreds of women receive information which will be beneficial to each of them and to their families,” Askew said. “We greatly appreciate the support and contributions of our major sponsor, the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation.” The symposium would not be possible in its current format without the foundation’s assistance, she said. “The evaluations of symposium activities by participants are indicative of this important assistance,” said Dr. Ted Alexander, foundation chief executive officer. “We are pleased to be a part of what the symposium has to offer.”The registration fee of $20 is due by Wednesday, Jan. 16, and includes all of the above events. For registration material, email womenshealthsymposium@prcc.edu or telephone 601-403-1317.